ABC News Comes to Apple TV with Live and On-Demand Video, Local News, and Historical Footage [Updated]
ABC News is launching a new Apple TV channel today, bringing access to live and on-demand content to Apple’s set-top box. The channel offers a variety of news and entertainment offerings, including local news in select markets and access to five decades of historical footage from ABC’s archives. As with many of the recent channel additions to the Apple TV, ABC News is only available to users in the United States for the time being, although ABC says availability will expand worldwide “in the coming weeks”.
ABC News on Apple TV offers more choices for how, when and where to get the video content you want. Unlike other news offerings, ABC News provides a robust line-up of original and on-demand content and up to four live streaming events at once, allowing viewers to select and view the live news they care about most. From court trials and breaking news to the daily White House press briefing, live continuous coverage of the day’s top stories, videos and more are instantly accessible with ABC News on Apple TV.
Among the features on the new ABC News channel:
– 24/7 access to live and on-demand video with four separate live video streams to choose from.
– Video news updates on the hour and four to five live reports per day to cover breaking news.
– Local content from nine television stations around the United States: WABC (New York), KABC (Los Angeles), WLS (Chicago), WPVI (Philadelphia), KGO (San Francisco), KTRK (Houston), WTVD (Raleigh), KFSN (Fresno), and WISN (Milwaukee).
– Curated stories and videos highlighting the top news stories of the moment, updated throughout the day.
– 50 years of historical footage from ABC News’ archives, including “This Week in History” and “The Day in Pictures” features.
The Disney/ABC/ESPN media conglomerate has had a close relationship with Apple for a number of years, driven in large part by Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, which was owned by Steve Jobs. As a result of the transaction, Jobs became Disney’s largest individual shareholder and retained a seat on Disney’s board of directors.
The fruits of that relationship can be seen on Apple TV, which offers an existing Watch ABC channel, a trio of Disney television channels, a Watch ESPN channel, and three channels (A&E, Lifetime, History) from Disney/ABC’s joint venture with Hearst Corporation. Disney is also a part owner of the Hulu subscription service that is available on Apple TV.
Update 7:08 AM: In addition to ABC News, several other new channels have appeared on Apple TV today, including PBS Kids, AOL On, and Willow, a sports channel dedicated to international cricket.
iPhone 6 Interest Remains Strong as Consumers Look to Larger Displays
Demand for the next generation iPhone remains strong in the months before its expected fall debut, claims a report from RBC Capital Markets analysts. According to a 4,000 person survey conducted by RBC, half of consumers who plan to upgrade their phone in the next three months intend to buy an iPhone and a quarter of those would be willing to pay $100 more for their iPhone to have a 5.5-inch screen over the other rumored size of 4.7 inches.
Customers know about and are interested in the next iPhone, with 74 percent of survey respondents stating they are aware of Apple’s possible fall iPhone launch and fifty percent claiming they are interested in buying an iPhone for their next phone. Primarily, customers are looking for performance improvements and a large screen in their next iPhone handset.
While ~49% of smartphone purchasers are inclined to buy the next Apple product, we learned that the main driving factor for sales surround performance improvements (battery life 33%, processor 18%, camera 12%). In our view, these results are positive for AAPL, as we would not be surprised to see improvements to both battery life and processing speed with the iPhone 6. Finally, beyond performance improvements, we also learned that screen size could materially impact sales, as 23% of participants surveyed are inclined to purchase a larger screen iPhone.
These customers not only want a larger phone, they also are willing to pay for it, with more than one quarter of respondents willing to pay a $100 premium to buy a 5.5-inch iPhone for $299 instead of the current $199 for the 16GB iPhone 5s and presumably the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. This echoes an earlier report from Raymond James analyst Tavis McCourt, who also says consumers are showing an increasing willingness to pay a $100 price premium for a larger device.
Analysts expect the next iPhone to cause iPhone sales to surge as consumers upgrade to the large-screened handset. This demand could translate into a 15 to 20 percent jump in unit sales, year over year, claims RBC. Besides the iPhone 6, Apple also is expected to unveil the iWatch and refresh its iPad lineup later this year in what Eddy Cue says is “the best product pipeline that I’ve seen in my 25 years at Apple.”
Deezer joins the small list of music streaming apps that support Chromecast
Google’s Chromecast dongle is, first and foremost, a cheap piece of hardware for flinging video from various devices to the biggest screen in your home. It makes sense, then, that you should also be able to stream music to your TV just as easily — not everyone has a dedicated audio setup or convenient ways to connect to one wirelessly, after all. There’s plenty of music on YouTube, of course, but Rdio, Pandora and Google’s own Play Music are the only high-profile music services to include Chromecast support so far. Streaming outfit Deezer (which still doesn’t operate in the US) is set to join those ranks tomorrow when it updates its Android and iOS apps. Multiple users will even be able to connect to the same dongle and fight over who has the worst taste. There is one catch to streaming through Chromecast, however: you’ll need a paid Premium+ account to do so, although you need one of those to use Deezer’s mobile apps, anyway. No free option is a bit of a downer, but at least Deezer’s made something of an effort, which is more than can be said for that other popular music streaming service.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, Peripherals, HD, Google
Via: The Next Web
Source: Deezer
Anti-poaching campaign needs $100,000 to turn old smartphones into mantraps
See the solar petal in the image above? That’s the housing for a recycled Android smartphone that raises the alarm if it detects heavy movement in the nearby area. It’s part of a network of old phones that Rainforest Connection uses to prevent illegal logging in western Sumatra. After successfully proving that the technology works, the organization is hoping to use the same technology not just to save huge swathes of rainforest, but also to stop poachers killing endangered animals in Africa.
That’s why Rainforest Connection is now taking to Kickstarter in order to raise $100,000 to fabricate the housing for the reconditioned smartphones. In addition, the charity will spend eight weeks in Cameroon training local rangers to use the technology to preserve both around 100 square kilometers of rainforest and the animals inside. If that target is surpassed, then the additional cash will go to funding projects in Brazil, Panama and Indonesia, but if that hasn’t convinced you, then maybe Neil Young, himself no stranger to crowdfunding, can change your mind.
Microsoft calls on Nokia X2 for emerging markets
As expected, Microsoft on Tuesday announced its latest Android smartphone in the form of an entry-level Nokia X2. Slated for release in July, the handset features a 4.3-inch ClearBlack display, 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 processor with 1GB RAM, and a 5-megapixel/1-megapixel camera duo.
The Nokia X2 will feature three home screen layouts, including one (Fastlane) that looks quite a bit like the Windows Phone experience. Users can pin select items to the home screen and quickly access apps, events, and other items. Although powered by Android, the handset comes with a number of Microsoft apps and services such as Skype, OneDrive, Outlook, Bing, and OneNote.
The Nokia X2 will be available initially as a dual-SIM device and retail for 99 euros. Color options are reported to include glossy orange, black and green; glossy yellow, white and matte dark grey will be offered later.
It’s not clear exactly where the X2 will be sold nor whether a single-SIM model is in the works.
The post Microsoft calls on Nokia X2 for emerging markets appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Hungry? Try Five Guys [App of the Day]
I was hungry the other day and my wife was out running errands, so I got her to stop by Five Guys Burgers and Fires. I used their app to order our lunch and everything went off without a hitch.
This app does have a kinda outdated look, but it does the job and does it well. Order from your nearest Five Guys from wherever you are.
After you choose the location, you start with your order. You can be as specific as you want by adding all toppings to your burger or hotdog or just check off the toppings you like.
After your order is complete, race down to your Five Guys, head to the front of the line and get ready to dig in.
The post Hungry? Try Five Guys [App of the Day] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Nest kicks off ‘Works with Nest’ developer program
Google’s Nest is going to be the center of your home and connected life. You know all of that “Internet of Things” chatter you hear about? The Nest Learning Thermostat is about to help make that a reality. At least, that’s the hopes with their “Works with Nest” certification program and developer tools.
Announced late last night, the developer program already has some key partners lined up to participate. Names here include Logitech, IFTTT, Whirlpool, Chamberlain, Jawbone, and Mercedes-Benz. What will each of these companies do with Nest? You’d be surprised. Take the Jawbone, for instance, which is able to detect when you’re sleeping and then tell the Nest to adjust the temperature in your house. Another company, LIFX, is able to turn all of the lights in a house red whenever smoke is detected. For deaf users or those with hearing impairments, this visual cue is just as good as the audio one that comes with a smoke detector.
The post Nest kicks off ‘Works with Nest’ developer program appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Hoptroff smartwatch uses analog dials to deliver real-time sports results
There’s a World Cup on, so what better time to talk about an analog smartwatch designed specifically for soccer football fans? Hoptroff, which normally makes timepieces for mad billionaires and stockbrokers, has announced that its next watch, the Hotblack, will use mechanical dials to keep you updated on the score. The top sub-dial, for instance, will show you your team’s score, while the one beneath it shows the tally for the opposition. At the bottom, the third dial gently turns to show how much of the game has elapsed.
Pairing with your Android or iOS smartphone over Bluetooth, the watch is designed to the same standards as the company’s other luxury watches, with Swiss moving parts and a brushed stainless steel case. Unlike the £5,000 and £50,000 timepieces in Hoptroff’s stable, the company is doing its best to keep the costs low for the Hotblack. That’s why it’s taking to — audible sigh — Kickstarter in the hope of raising £23,000 in order to garner enough demand. Depending on how early you pledge, you could get one of the watches for just £400, or if you want a custom-engraved model, £1,500.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: Kickstarter
Soundhawk’s smart earpiece tunes out noise to augment your hearing
We’ve all been there. You’re standing around, trying to have a conversation — meaningful or otherwise — but that wretched, raucous noise means all you can do is cock your head and mouth “I can’t hear you!” to your friend. San Francisco-based startup Soundhawk doesn’t want that to ever happen again. The team can’t boost your hearing to Superman-esque levels, but with a new $299 gadget they can at least augment your ears when you need it the most.
It all starts with what CEO Mike Kisch calls the Scoop, an unassuming little earpiece that doesn’t look entirely unlike a Bluetooth headsets Bose puts out. It’s laden with microphones and silicon which allows it to capture sound, chew on it, and feed you that processed audio in real time with a little help from a connected smartphone.
Wait, hang on: chew on it?
That’s Soundhawk’s secret sauce: it fiddles with the very nature of the sound you’re hearing to make it easier to understand. I got to spend some brief ears-on time with a near-final version of the device, and the effect was pretty damned impressive. I’ll be the first to admit that my hearing isn’t what it used to be, so holding a clear, audible conversation amid the din of (simulated) restaurant noise was something of a revelation. It’s not hearing aid, though, as Kisch noted multiple times. Making one of those would both limit the device’s appeal and open the company up to a regulatory rigmarole that seems more trouble than its worth. No, the team looks at the Soundhawk as more of a lifestyle enhancer, as potentially cheesy as that sounds. This is something you’re supposed to stick in your ear when you’re driving or making the rounds at a crowded shindig, not a therapeutic device to restore what once was lost. Oh, and it doubles as a Bluetooth headset, in case duty calls while you’re out and about.
The other half of the hardware equation is a wireless microphone that connects to the Scoop that’ll extend the range of your hearing. If we’re being honest, the pièce de résistance is the app: it lets users toggle through different “sound scenes” that alter audio settings on the fly. Cruising around town with the top down? Invoking the Driving mode amps up environmental noise reduction. Enjoying a quiet meal with the family? Indoor mode will boost the sound of people’s voices to a more comfortable level. There are a mere four sound scenes available out of the box, but Kisch promises that users will be able to create their own in time. More importantly, all of those settings can be tuned to your liking with a dead simple drag-and-drop interface — there are no tests, no lengthy processes, just a bit of touching until you hear what you like.
This whole thing may sound just a little too out there for the masses, but Soundhawk seems to have the ears of some very powerful partners. In addition to nabbing another $5.5 million from a slew of venture investors, the team has also locked up a key partnership with Foxconn… sort of like the deal GoPro inked before it absolutely exploded. We’re still waiting to get some final hardware in our ears, but there’s little doubting that Soundhawk’s system does what it sets out to do. Now the multimillion dollar question is whether people flock to this wild-eyed wearable the way Kisch and his crew hope.
Source: Soundhawk
CNN wants to prove that drones are safe for news reporting
Stunning video footage like that from a recent tornado in Arkansas (see below) shows the potential for drones to radically change journalism. However, it’s illegal to operate them in the US, especially near a disaster or accident scene — which has prompted a new research project from CNN and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The aim is to figure out which type of equipment, personnel and safety measures would be needed to safely operate news-gathering drones in US airspace. While such UAVs would no doubt give media outlets like CNN improved coverage, they’d often end up in close proximity to crowds, emergency personnel and even rescue aircraft. That means US regulators might be reluctant to approve them for reporting — even though they’ve already authorized lower-risk activities like pipeline inspection. CNN’s group hopes to show the FAA that it can be made safe for journalism, likely so that it won’t be frozen out when new drone regulations are finally announced.
[Image credit: Brian Emfinger via YouTube]
Source: CNN
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